notes on the origins of interesting words

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Even a single word has a story to tell and English is lucky to have so much history recorded so we can talk about it. Rummaging around in a word’s past to find out where it came from, what it meant, and how it has changed is something that has always interested us all. Maybe it’s because we love our own language. Maybe its because finding out a little something about our past tells us a little something about ourselves now. Maybe it’s because we think that one day it might, just might, come up in the pub quiz. Whatever the reason, this blog is here to tell you a few of the most interesting word stories we’ve found so far.

As for me, I’m Jess, a polyglot, linguaphile, and dedicated word nerd. I studied Linguistics at university and I dream of becoming a lexicographer (the fancy word for those people who write the dictionaries). As you might expect, I love Scrabble, I do the Guardian quick crossword every day, and Susie Dent from dictionary corner is my all-time idol.

If you like the blog, you can like the Facebook page too (https://www.facebook.com/wordoriginstories) or follow @Word_Stories_ on Twitter for more language-based fun. There are updates of new posts as well as links to interesting linguistic stuff found on the web. Or sign up to receive Word Stories right in your inbox by popping you email address in that little box on the left.

Also, please feel free to make a request if there’s a particular word or phrase you’d like to know more about.